Radioresistance of granulation tissue-derived cells from skin wounds combined with total body irradiation.

Combined radiation and wound injury (CRWI) occurs following nuclear explosions and accidents, radiological or nuclear terrorism, and radiation therapy combined with surgery. CRWI is complicated and more difficult to heal than single injuries. Stem cell‑based therapy is a promising treatment strategy for CRWI, however, sourcing stem cells remains a challenge. In the present study, the granulation tissue-derived cells (GTCs) from the skin wounds (SWs) of CRWI mice (C‑GTCs) demonstrated a higher radioresistance to the damage caused by combined injury, and were easier to isolate and harvest when compared with bone marrow‑derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs). Furthermore, the C-GTCs exhibited similar stem cell-associated properties, such as self-renewal and multilineage differentiation capacity, when compared with neonatal dermal stromal cells (DSCs) and GTCs from unirradiated SWs. Granulation tissue, which is easy to access, may present as an optimal autologous source of stem/progenitor cells for therapeutic applications in CRWI.